The Proof of War
by KeyofNostalgia
Summary: Despite the fact that Aether has taken Percy under his control, the gods refuse to believe that there will be war. To get the Olympians' help in saving the camp, Nico, Hazel, and Frank set out to Alaska to find Aether's army. While they do so, they hope to find Percy, and if possible, wake him up and bring him back. Sequel to The Rising Ancients.
1. Nico: Conference

**I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

Sometimes (almost always), Nico got really angry at the gods. Now was one of those times. What part of, "An ancient god is going to revolt against you then destroy the world by upsetting the balance," did they not understand? Admittedly, that was kind of a long sentence, but still! They should care that Aether was going to begin by attacking the home of their children.

"You're seething," Thalia noted, "or should I call it fuming? Whatever it is, it's not good for your health," she stated with a faint smile.

"I can't help it! The gods-" he cut himself off. Saying rude things about them ON OLYMPUS would get him blasted to bits.

They wouldn't prepare for war. Just because they couldn't sense a growing army anywhere, they refused to get involved in a possible war. Nico wanted to knock it through their thick skulls that they couldn't see everything that went on in the world; an army could be hidden in certain places, away from the gods, and he had an idea where.

Annabeth was pacing impatiently, glaring often at the large doors to the throne room. Nico worried about her. Losing Percy could have driven over the edge, but she stayed strong. How long could she keep it up? When he had found out, the first feeling that hit him was shock; the next was guilt. It was hard to believe that Percy had fought Thalia and Annabeth. Them the realization struck that he had taken what would've been Nico's place. Now he was determined to help Percy in any way he could.

"What could be taking so long?" Annabeth said, tapping her foot. "It's one decision, and it should be simple."

Just as she finished, the doors rumbled ajar. Biting her lip, she entered. Thalia and he followed.

"We have decided that the demigods are free to prepare for battle if they wish," Zeus was declaring. "However, the gods will not send aid."

Annabeth looked murderous, and Nico stepped in before she did something she would regret later. "Lord Zeus, please. Will you give us a chance to show you proof?"

Zeus scoffed. "Proof of an army that does not exist? Nonsense."

"I believe that Aether may be preparing his forces in Alaska," Nico blurted out quickly. "He himself might have no power there, but his underlings could be building an army with his orders." He also wanted to mention something about searching for Percy, but Zeus would probably be even less inclined to let him go then.

Some of the gods looked considerate, and he knew that certain ones were definitely on his side. Poseidon, Artemis, his father (who was not present), and even Athena agreed with him.

"The boy may be right," the goddess of wisdom put in. "Would it not be wise to give him a chance, just in case there might be war?"

Most of the gods nodded, and those who didn't looked as if they couldn't care less.

Clearly outnumbered, Zeus huffed, "Fine. It will not be an official quest, but you may take a small party to seek out his forces. If there is indeed proof of war, you will send us an Iris-Message to show us. Meeting adjourned," he called hastily, disappearing with a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. The majority of the gods followed suit, with the exception of Hestia and Poseidon. Thalia patted him on the back, took Annabeth's arm, and dragged her out. Hestia gave him a sympathetic smile and continued to tend to the hearth. As for the god of the seas…well, Nico had been avoiding his intense gaze for the meeting, but it couldn't do so any longer. The god shrunk down to human size and strode over to him.

"Nico di Angelo," Poseidon said softly (but very dangerously), and he gulped. Ever since Percy's absence had gone public, the seas had been rough. Storms had ravaged the East Coast and various other places in the world.

Nico bowed, trying not to flinch from the dark, unreadable expression on the furious god's face.

"Camp Half-Blood will be in need of all of its campers. Might I suggest that you take a few trusted friends from Camp Jupiter?

"Yes, sir," Nico agreed. He risked looking up and saw deep sorrow in the god's eyes.

"If you see my son within the army, try to bring him back."

Nico just nodded, a lump in his throat preventing him from answering verbally. Clearing his throat, he asked tentatively, "So you do believe that Aether builds an army?"

"Yes," he replied flatly. "Zeus is a fool." Thunder rumbled nearby. Rolling his eyes, Poseidon added, "He is also a temperamental child. But enough of this. Yu should get ready for your journey."

Nico averted his eyes as golden light enveloped the god. Unnerved by the quiet, almost empty room, he dashed out.


	2. Nico: Preparations

******Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

Nico thought he was a guy who wasn't fazed easily. He had faced many things in his short life (including Tartarus), and he could probably count on two hands what frightened him. One was a ticked off Percy (oh, how he missed his cousin). Another was Annabeth on a warpath.

"I NEED to go with you. I have to find Percy!" she was telling him as they headed back to camp. Nico just shook his head and relayed Poseidon's suggestion.

"He's right," Thalia said firmly. "You're the leader of the camp, so you have to stay and help everyone get ready."

Annabeth shut her eyes in frustration. "I know, but…"

"Hey, I'll make sure to look for him. I will try to bring him back," Nico said determinedly.

Her shoulders sagged in defeat. "I know you will."

Thalia clapped both of their backs with forced enthusiasm. "Well, now that that's been settled, who are you going to take?" she asked curiously.

"I'll ask Hazel and Frank. They're two of the few that I trust, and since the Romans might be coming to aid you guys, Jason and Reyna will need to organize them."

"Excellent plan, zombie dude!" Thalia exclaimed way too cheerily. Nico rolled his eyes then paused. Hadn't Percy called him that before?

Unaware of his sudden reminiscence, Thalia rambled on, coaxing a small smile out of Annabeth. He supposed they all had different coping methods.

* * *

When they returned, they were met with a surprise: Hades. His father glared at his friends and demanded to him, "I would like to speak to you. Alone."

Nico shrugged at his friends and followed him to the entrance of his cabin. They got a lot of stares on the way; it wasn't often that the Lord of the Dead showed up on the surface.

Hades studied at the structure absently. "I hear you plan on heading to Alaska."

Nico marveled at how fast news traveled. "Yes, father," he answered obediently. Why was he here?

Still staring at the cabin and not looking at him, Hades warned, "Do not take unnecessary risks. It would be a pain to deal with another dead soul."

To others, that may have sounded harsh and uncaring, but Nico felt overwhelmingly happy to hear those words. His father had actually taken the time to tell him to be careful, albeit awkwardly. Hiding a smile, he bowed. "Yes, my lord."

After standing there for a few seconds, Hades finally fixed his hard gaze on him. "I wish you luck on your journey," he said roughly. His eyes softening just a little, he ruffled Nico's hair and disappeared into the shadows.

Nico was unable to hide the childishly gleeful grin that lit up his face.

* * *

After bidding goodbye to Annabeth, Thalia, and select other people, Nico shadow traveled to Camp Jupiter. It would be around noon there, and he planned to rest and regain his energy before taking off to Alaska at night.

Hazel, with a sweet smile, was the first to greet him. Frank soon followed with a nervous wave, and Nico smirked. He tended to unnerve a lot of people, but the kid had guts.

"Not that we're not glad to see you or anything, but why are you here?" Hazel asked playfully.

She turned completely serious as soon as he explained the situation. "I want you and Frank to come with me. You've been there before, so it should at least be a little familiar.

"I can't say that we've had good experiences there," Frank said, "but of course we'll go. Besides finding the army, we want to get Percy back and make sure he's good again."

Nico nodded in satisfaction. "Get ready. We will leave tonight by shadow traveling."

Sending them away, he went straight to the headquarters building, whatever it was called. Reyna and Jason were seated on the two chairs, discussing something. They didn't look too surprised to see him.

"We got an Iris-Message," Jason explained. "Since the gods will not help, I will take half of our army and set off to assist the Greeks in battle."

Nico turned to Reyna, raising an eyebrow. Would she go with him?

"I will stay behind. New Rome should not be left undefended," she said coolly. She gave him a piercing look. "You came here to tell us that Hazel and Frank will accompany you to Alaska. We've already arranged for you to stay at a place in New Rome until you depart."

He nodded, absently fingering the sweets on the table. Reyna really reminded him of Annabeth sometimes. "Thanks. If you don't mind…" With their consent, he directed himself out, where he was led by Gwen to a building resembling a hotel.

In his room, he plopped down on the bed. It was a cozy little place, and it would serve as a perfect napping spot. Before he fell asleep, though, doubts taunted him. What if Percy didn't want to come back? He wasn't exactly himself at the moment. Even if he was found, there was still a chance that he would be possessed, and dragging him back would be dangerous. Sighing, he pushed pessimistic conclusions to the back of his head and let sleep take him.

**I really should write longer chapters...oh welp. I don't think that would work out. Reviews would be greatly appreciated; they make me jump up and down and squeal in happiness! :)**


	3. Nico: Separation

**********Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**School is taking over my life, and I do not like it! Reviews help soften the days for me, and I thank coralie14 and a guest for their words of kindness. Onto the chapter!**

Nico met with Hazel and Frank on the outskirts of camp. The night was cloudy, with no moon or stars to be seen.

"Nice night out, huh?" Frank commented sarcastically, studying the bleak sky.

He leaned against the bridge, waiting for Mrs.O'Leary to show up. "It's perfect for shadow traveling," he told Frank.

After two minutes and thirty-seven seconds (yes, he was counting), the hellhound lumbered out from the shadows. She whimpered and lowered her head as if apologizing for her lateness. He smiled and patted her head.

"You guys can get on," he said. "Hazel's old home might be a good place to start since Alaska is mostly unknown to us. Do you remember where it is?" he asked.

She nodded grimly, and he told her to whisper it in Mrs.O'Leary's ear. Sending them off, he faced the wall and prepared to go through. As he dashed in, an unnatural chill passed by him, along with the other usual effects. A ferocious growl echoed in the darkness, and he was tackled by something massive. Claws dug into him painfully, and teeth flashed dangerously close to his head. Before he blacked out from the agony, he felt himself tumble out of the shadows.

* * *

When he regained consciousness, it was still night, and the grass under him was wet. Turning his sore neck to see what was happening, he realized the wetness came from blood. He watched in morbid fascination as it seeped out from him. It oozed from a gash on his side; that made sense, since there was an excruciating pain originating from that area.

Putting pressure in the wound to stop the bleeding, he gathered in his surroundings. Hazel and Frank were nowhere to be seen, and he seemed to have fallen in a grassy area of a park. It was a good thing that most animals avoided him and his deathly aura; he would have made easy prey, being in no condition to defend himself.

Blinking sluggishly, he recognized that he was passing out but couldn't force himself to stay awake. His last thought before spots covered his vision was wishing that everything wasn't so cold.

* * *

A faint light entered his sight as his eyes slid open. He tried to turn on his side to avoid the rising sun but stopped as he felt a dull pain.

"Oh, you're awake!" a girl said amiably. He searched around and found her kneeling on the grass a few feet away. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a metal pole strapped to her back like a weapon… she seemed vaguely familiar.

He groaned, and she said jokingly, "What was that?" She reminded him of Thalia then, and it clicked. The girl worked under Aether and helped them on their quest. What was her name…Lucy-something-or-other? Whatever.

She shifted, and he looked at her warily. If she was on Aether's side, she couldn't be trusted.

The blond sighed as if she had read his mind. "I've tended to your wound. If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done it already."

Darn. Why did she have to have such a logical argument? "Where are they?" he mumbled out.

She looked slightly impatient now. "You should be more specific."

"My sister and friend. They were ahead of me while we were shadow traveling."

"I don't know," she replied. "If they were ahead, they might have made it past the border into Canada. You were attacked by a hellhound, by the way."

Nico frowned. Being attacked during shadow travel was new to him. "Where am I?"

"You are in the northern part of Washington. Just go a little further and you'll be at the border."

He grunted and sat up. "If I walk over there," he muttered," maybe I'll have enough energy to travel across."

The girl shook her head. "I don't think you should risk it. I'll take you over."

Nico didn't ask how. He figured she'd do the same thing she did with Annabeth, Thalia, and Percy on their quest. "Who are you?"

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me that already," she said with amusement. "My name is Lucia. I helped your friends on that quest because I was working under Aether at that time."

"You're not working for him anymore?" Nico wondered.

Lucia grimaced. "I don't agree with his views, so I finally just took off. I'm not exactly sure where I'll go, though."

"If you're a demigod, you could head to Camp Half-Blood," he suggested.

She started digging around in a small sack sitting next to her. "Maybe. I've always wanted to travel freely, so I might wander around for a bit before settling." She offered him an ambrosia square.

"I have my own," he said, patting his bag.

"You should save them for later. Take it," she insisted, so he did. Once he finished nibbling on it, she helped him stand up and told him to be still. He clenched his eyes shut as a brilliant light enveloped them and flew them elsewhere.

** If you don't hear from me for a while, just know that school is sucking the life force out of me lol. Reviews are highly appreciated! :)**


	4. Nico: Encounters

**********Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed this story so far!**

Disoriented, Nico swayed before righting himself. Snow floated down gently and glimmered in the faint sunlight.

"It looks as if it'll begin to snow harder," Lucia put in. He stared up at the dark heavy clouds in the distance. He needed to find Hazel and Frank quickly.

Lucia nudged him and pointed to a line of what looked like border customs. "Go the opposite way, and maybe you'll find your friends."

Nico sighed deeply. The area between Canada and Alaska was huge; how was he supposed to find them?

"Don't worry too much," Lucia advised. "I'm sure you'll run into them somewhere. Just keep going." Nodding wordlessly, he flashed a fake smile at her and hurried.

* * *

An hour passed by with nothing new happening. All he kept seeing as he walked were buildings, roads, and snow. Lots of snow. Nico shivered in his coat. He was tempted to stop by a nearby coffee shop to get some nice, sweet hot chocolate, but the fear of something bad happening to Hazel and Frank urged him to continue.

No one was out and about. It was late morning, and the snow was piling up quickly. Still, Nico thought that was odd. There was always at least a stray car or person wandering around. It felt so…empty.

"Feeling lonely yet?" a taunting voice asked.

He whipped around, and his hands immediately went to his sword hilt. Phobos sauntered behind him, studying him with menacing red eyes. Nico averted his gaze quickly. He would not be a victim of his fear-inducing powers again.

"You? What do you want?" he demanded angrily.

Phobos snorted as if he was amused. "I just want some good fun. Besides, I'm getting paid, so I'll gladly make you miserable."

"Paid by whom?" Nico growled, knowing the answer. He needed to either run or take him out somehow…

"Who else but Aether?" Phobos said, rolling his eyes. "He doesn't like meddlers, if you have not noticed it already. Now," he punched him in the gut to make him stumble and held a knife to his throat, "I asked if you feel lonely."

Nico froze, thinking of a way out. "Why is this place so empty?"

Phobos chuckled smugly. "I brought a friend along." The temperature dropped suddenly, and Nico resisted the urge to jerk violently.

"Nico di Angelo," a female voice whispered, "you are alone. The mortals' doors have frozen shut. No one can help you."

"No one but you'll get hurt either!" the son of Hades yelled, wrenching the knife away from him and falling into his own shadow. After a second of darkness, he jumped back up from the shadow of Phobos and stabbed him in the leg. The god screeched in pain and swung his knife, but Nico had already stepped to the side, slashing at his abdomen on the way.

Groaning, Phobos limped back. Golden ichor dripped from his wounds. "You have surprised me this time, foolish demigod," Phobos gritted out, "but as you go on, you shall see things that will put you in even more hopeless despair!" Nico closed his eyes as a golden flash surrounded Phobos. When he opened them, the fear god was gone.

"He is right," Khione (he assumed it was her) hissed. She materialized next to him. Her dark hair floated in the wind, and her brown eyes were nothing but cold. Nico held up his Stygian Iron sword threateningly, and she glared at it warily. "I have no energy to waste on you, Son of Hades. It'd probably be best," she sneered, "if you find your friends before they get buried in the snow. That is, of course, if you don't perish first." The goddess of snow disappeared in the same manner as Phobos.

Trying not to be bothered by those words, he sheathed his sword and wrapped his coat around tighter around him. It was cold enough for him to see his own breath in wisps, and the chilling ice and gales did not help. Nico began to jog quickly; freezing to death didn't really appeal to him.

Panting in the bitter cold, he paused. He whistled sharply and waited hopefully for Mrs.O'Leary to bound out of the shadows, but nothing happened.

The snowstorm continued and limited his vision. His face felt like it had been scratched mercilessly by a cat, and he couldn't even feel his hands anymore. Eventually, he tripped and fell into the snow, and his side burned; it was as if someone had poked an icicle into it. Apparently, he was still recovering from shadow traveling and almost being mauled.

Nico tried to get up and failed. He moaned, but the sound was lost in the fierce winds. 'The gods are really trying to mess with my day, aren't they?' he mused. Just then, he perceived himself sinking into the ground. Was he hallucinating now?

He glanced sideways and realized that he was going into a shadowy pit. Sighing, he just let himself go; it was warmer in there. Complete blackness passed, and he was out.

It was cold, but at least there wasn't a wrathful snowstorm trying to bury him alive. Nico struggled back up and searched around. Discovering that he was not too far from Alaska, he mentally whooped. A warm feeling spread in his heart; Hades must have helped him. He must have sent him to a place closer to his friends.

"Thank you, father," Nico murmured. He smiled a little and trudged north.

* * *

As twilight approached, he came to Alaska. The gods couldn't help him now. Looking around, Nico noticed that things appeared the same, but something felt different. He felt…fresh. It was as if he was experiencing a sort of freedom.

Unfortunately, his admiration of the pleasant atmosphere did not last long. As he walked further on, he heard hissing and howling. Since he was on a slope, he couldn't see what was downhill until he was just a few meters away. When he did, he almost cursed because a group of monsters were congregating in a cluster. There were a dozen dracanae and three hellhounds. One of the beasts barked loudly and began to sprint over to where he was; it must have smelled him. The rest of the group followed, brandishing weapons.

Nico took out his sword, grumbling under his breath. This would be a hard fight to get out of alive.

**Guess what? We switch point of view next chapter, so you won't find out what happens to Nico until...oh, a few chapters later. Please don't be mad or anything! I hope you enjoyed, and I love reviews. =)**


	5. Hazel: Foreign Monsters

******Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

Hazel hadn't shadow traveled often, but she already did not like it. The ride on the hellhound was thrilling, like riding on Arion, but the part where a sudden mass crashed into her and made her drop off was not appreciated. Luckily, a layer of snow cushioned her fall.

She hastily got up and looked around for any signs of Frank and Mrs.O'Leary, but they were gone. Nico couldn't be found either. Great. She was separated from her friends in the middle of nowhere.

Brushing snow off her pants, Hazel caught sight of a road not too far ahead. She headed towards it in hopes of finding out where she was.

Checking the license plates of cars that zoomed by, she wasn't too surprised to find that she was in Canada. She just wished she knew exactly where she was. She was considering following the road when she heard a blood-curdling howl.

Hazel yelped as she ducked under a leaping hellhound that had sprinted up from behind her. It was the size of a school bus, and all of its attention was on her. How was it possible for these things to get so big?

Before it could pounce again, a shriek of an eagle caught its focus. The bird streaked through the air and dived at its body. Unfortunately, the monster wasn't even fazed. "Frank?" Hazel wondered.

Her assumption was correct; the eagle transformed into a fierce dragon in an instant. She whistled and waved her spatha to get the hellhound distracted, and Frank thrust his claws at it, knocking it down. He head-butted it with tremendous force, making it slide several yards then disintegrate.

Hazel ran over to him as he turned to a human again and clasped his hands with her own. "Thanks. You're not hurt, right?" He shook his head and clenched her hand tightly. Blushing a little, Hazel asked, "Do you think the hellhound got Nico, too?"

Frank grimaced and looked back. "Probably. He wasn't anywhere near where I landed. We should find him soon, but I don't know where to look."

She sighed, hoping that her brother was okay. He could take care of himself, but she couldn't help but worry.

Frank started to walk along the road, and she hurried next to him. "He could be headed to Alaska by himself. We might be able to meet up with him there," he said logically. "You don't have any way of contacting him, do you?"

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. She had brought a spray bottle to use for the IM in Alaska, but she doubted it held enough water for more than one message. She explained this to Frank sheepishly, and he smiled at her.

"No worries. We'll get to Alaska, find Nico, search for the army, and get Percy. Simple, right?"

Hazel couldn't help but laugh, "Very."

* * *

After following a quick pace for a couple of hours, they stopped to rest until dawn. When it (or was it she?) came, they continued the monotonous journey.

"Isn't it a little weird that we haven't run into any monsters in a while?" Frank pondered.

Hazel winced. "I hope you didn't just jinx that," she said nervously.

He rubbed the back of his head, agreeing, "Yeah, I probably should have kept quiet. Still, we are in a pretty open area, so we should be able to see nearby enemies and get ready-" he was interrupted by the flapping of wings approaching briskly, "unless they move fast by air, of course."

She examined the sky and inspected a swarm of…things drawing near.

"They look like some sort of snakes with wings," Frank said, confused.

"Winged serpents? We learned about them really briefly in class. The Ophies Pteretoi guarded fields in Arabia or something." _I bet Annabeth could tell us more,_ she thought uncertainly.

"If they lived in Arabia, then why are they here in Canada?" Frank complained. He took out his bow and arrows as the swarm came within firing range.

"They must be drawn to Aether's army. Who knows what kind of monsters he's recruiting?" Hazel replied, watching as he shot down three in rapid succession. Since they were much closer now, she could see some details. About 6 feet long and of varying colors, they had the bodily appearance of typical non-venomous snakes: smooth scales, forked tongues, and a rounded head. The difference was that feathery wings grew out of their sides. There were five of them left.

All but two of them got hit by arrows before they dived at Frank and her. Each landed on a demigod, and Hazel grunted; it was heavier than she thought. It tried to strike, but Hazel flung it over her head and stabbed it to the ground. The serpent convulsed violently before disintegrating.

A yell of pain caught Hazel's attention. Frank had kicked the monster away, but there were two visible puncture marks on his right leg. Before it could bite again, Hazel threw her spatha and directed the Imperial Gold into its body. It crumbled into gray dust, and she hastened to Frank's side after picking up her weapon.

"It wasn't poisonous, thank the gods," Frank said as he gently sat on the ground. She nodded in relief. Seeing Frank suffer from poison would have driven her mad with worry.

It was about noon when they bandaged his wound and shared some ambrosia and nectar. After replenishing their energy with food, they were able to move on.

"We'll have to be careful as we go on," Hazel cautioned, gesturing to the snake bite.

Frank looked pleased at her attention, making her smile in return. "It's not too bad," he reassured. "I won't let it slow us down."

She huffed playfully, "Fine. But it's better safe than sorry."

He agreed readily, and they relocated to a less populated road as they traveled toward the Alaskan-Canadian border.

**Erm...I apologize if anything sounds...off. I just have this strange feeling about writing in Hazel's POV(and Frank's later on). Anyway, please tell me what you thought, and thank you to all those who reviewed/followed/favorited! **


	6. Hazel: Monsters Galore

******Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

Time passed quickly. The sun was setting by the time they entered Alaska through the southeastern border, not too far from Ketchikan. She began to see the mountainous terrain and breathed in deeply. She was back in her former home state. Again.

They had managed to avoid most monsters, which surprised her. There were so many of them lurking in the Canadian forests and the slippery roads that if she didn't know better, she would have thought they were going to some kind of a monster convention. The thought almost made her chuckle, but she couldn't as she realized all of those monsters would probably end up joining Aether's army eventually.

"With all these monsters, we must be getting closer," Frank pointed out. She just nodded and hoped he was right. She also prayed that they would find her brother soon.

They got good news and bad news a few minutes later. Good news: they saw Nico.

Bad news: He was NOT safe and unharmed.

He looked as if he was fighting for his life. Hazel counted as they rushed over to help: two hellhounds and nine Scythian dracanae, with two skeleton soldiers assisting him. As they charged into battle, Nico spun and stabbed one of the serpent ladies, sucking out her life force with his sword. Hazel focused on their weapons and forced them to the ground, making the monsters lose their balance. Her brother seized the opportunity to slash through half of them. Hazel and Frank, who had stepped on the hellhounds as a huge elephant, either stabbed or swept away the rest.

"Nico! Are you alright?" Hazel asked with concern. Panting heavily, he nodded. The skeletons sunk back into the ground.

Grasping his side, Nico said, "They should be at the coast, nearby."

Hazel studied him critically. He wasn't telling the truth about being fine, but she didn't press him. "How do you know?" she asked distractedly.

Frank stared at the distant coast and murmured, "They have Percy."

"Frank is right," Nico said, his mouth twisted in a pained grimace. "With Percy on their side, they'll feel more comfortable dealing with threats near the ocean."

"So we just stay near the coastline, right? That narrows it down-" Frank didn't get to finish as they heard shouting not too far away.

"We should stick to the trees in case they catch our "demigod scents" or something," Nico hissed, grabbing their arms and scrambling to cover. Creeping closer to the source of the noise, Hazel noticed that it sounded like a mixture of English and a seal's bark.

_Telekhines_, Nico mouthed to them, and she saw the things. They had dog-like faces and bodies of seals. Using flipper-like appendages to waddle, they approached a man whose back was to them. When he turned to the side to meet the telekhines, Hazel bit her lip so hard that she imagined blood. She felt Nico and Frank tense next to her.

It was Percy. His face seemed crueler and paler, but it was still him. "That's your problem. Deal with it," he was telling the telekhines.

"But she's creepy and won't stop tormenting us!" the monsters complained. The three of them shared a look. Did the monsters not get along with each other?

Before Percy could respond, sinister laughter rang in the air. A woman appeared behind the telekhines, leering at them. They, in turn, snarled viciously at her. She was beautiful, but there was something deadly about her that made Hazel cringe back. "So the little puppies huddle around the master for help? How amusing," she purred.

"Go away, Mormo," Percy snapped. Nico shuddered, and Hazel glanced at him. She would ask him about her later.

"Oh, I will," she said flippantly, "but you should be returning as well, NOT..," her lips curled into a smile, "searching for the ocean." She prowled away, and the telekhines hurriedly waddled ahead of her.

"I don't have to explain myself to you!" Percy yelled vehemently, but he followed anyway.

Watching his retreating back, Hazel dared to get her hopes up. He must be struggling against Morpheus's control; why else would he still have an attachment to the sea?

"We should go after them!" Frank whispered urgently.

Nico shook his head. "Yes, but give them some more time. Otherwise, they'll catch us." His voice sounded strangely weak.

"Who was that lady?" Hazel asked. She wanted to keep him from being lost in thought.

"I won't say her name, but she is a spirit who bites bad children. I guess you could compare her to an empousa and Lamia."

Frank fiddled with Hazel's fingers, and she took his hand in hers to calm him. "Bad children…That's in her opinion, though," he said nervously.

Her brother sighed, "Exactly." With that, he ended the conversation.

* * *

Finding the enemy camp wasn't too hard. There were plenty of footprints (and paw prints) in the snow, all leading linearly to the same place. "I'll go scout ahead and look for a vantage point," Frank offered.

"Okay. Just be careful," Hazel warned, and he smiled bravely at her. As he turned into a hawk and flew off, she stared. She was kind of getting used to that.

He came back five minutes later. When he changed back, his expression was that of awe. "The army is huge! There must be around 700 soldiers total," he breathed out.

Hazel frowned, thinking. "Annabeth said that there were about 200 going to Camp Half-Blood. That leaves 500…"

"The rest must be reserved for Erebus. He IS the main target after all," Nico remarked.

"Could…could they attack Camp Jupiter, too? Hazel asked him tentatively, and he patted her shoulder reassuringly, telling her that it wasn't likely.

Frank guided them to a hill overlooking the army, and they crouched to remain unseen. The sight took her breath away. Brightly lit braziers flickered in the night, and groups gathered around them and the tents. The majority consisted of beings that resembled nature spirits, but they glowed. Half as many were monsters. The rest were nature spirits and humans.

"We should contact the gods now, but I've been wondering how IM'ing would work here," Frank said, not taking his eyes off the base.

Nico shrugged and said, "I don't know. Maybe Iris gets a special deal or something." He dug a drachma out of his bag but froze. Footsteps crunched in the snow behind them.

"Well, isn't this a nice little reunion?"

**Ooh...was that a nice cliffhanger? :) I have a question: Would it be weird if the next story was written in first person? I've been planning it that way, but since the first two are in third person, I was just wondering if it would break the flow or something. So...please tell me what you think (not just about the question, the story,too) and have a nice day!=)**


	7. Hazel: A Duel between Cousins

**********Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Reply to Guest: Thank you! I do plan on writing another one. I hope you read on to that one, too! :)**

"They're spying on our camp!" one of the telekhines behind Percy barked.

"We should eat them!" another suggested. Arguments broke out among them (Hazel counted 15), and Percy rolled his eyes.

A few rushed out and yelled, "Eat first, ask questions later!" Percy unsheathed the sword from his hip.

"Stop!" he commanded, and they shrunk back. Tapping his sword casually on the ground, he approached the group.

Noticing his sword to be the bronze and iron one, Hazel spoke up, "Percy, what happened to Riptide?"

"That weak little thing?" he scoffed. "I flung it into the ocean, and it didn't return. It is a connection to the Olympians; therefore, I have no use for it."

As he spoke, Nico slipped the drachma into her hand. "Look for an opening," he murmured. Getting up, he gestured to the monsters. "Make them leave. Let's have an even fight."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Is the son of that Underworld lowlife Hades actually asking for a fair fight?" he asked skeptically. "Whatever. They stay, in case you try any dirty tricks, but they'll stay out of it."

There was much grumbling, but the telekhines roughly pulled Hazel and Frank to their feet and formed a circle around Nico and Percy. Nico took out his Stygian Iron sword and held it steadily in front of him. Hazel wondered how he could take this so calmly, but then she spotted a trickle of sweat down the side of his face. She realized he was shaken by this whole situation, too.

Percy made the first move, striking horizontally at his blade. Nico blocked and kicked his shin, making him wince. He recovered quickly, and they exchanged rapid blows.

She had been curious before of what would happen if Percy and Nico got into a fight. Now she had her answer: chaos. Everything was so frenzied that she had a hard time determining which blur was whose sword and such. Within moments, though, it became clear that Percy had the upper hand. Nico was exhausted from traveling, and he was hesitating just a bit. Percy had no such qualms. With a hard blow, he disarmed the boy.

She took a step forward, but a telekhine slapped her arm and growled, "Interfere, and die." Hazel could only watch desperately as Percy punched his face and slammed the flat of his sword into his right shoulder. He tackled Nico to the ground and held his sword at his throat, and the monsters obnoxiously jeered at the fallen demigod. Nico struggled against the weight, but Percy held him down and paused.

"Telekhines, return to camp," he ordered suddenly. They protested, but he cut them off. "You heard me; you are all dismissed. I cannot afford to be distracted in this fight," he said, sounding strained, "so unless you want Lord Aether to be displeased at my loss…"

"What about the other two?" one questioned, pointing to Frank and her.

"Leave them. I could take care of all three without any distractions."

As the monsters dejectedly withdrew, Hazel retrieved her bag and secured the spray bottle. She just needed a light source, and her flashlight wasn't there…

"Hazel," Percy called, letting go of Nico. They both stood up, Nico looking baffled and Percy seeming extremely tired. He handed her a flashlight. "Hurry. Please."

Puzzled, Hazel took Frank's hand and walked over to the top of the hill. Had he come to his senses? Spraying the water against the light, they managed to make a rainbow and contact the Olympians. The message was set sideways so that they could see the army and the others.

All but Mars, Diana, and Apollo were seated in their thrones. Beholding the army, the gods broke into murmurings, and Jupiter sat up straighter in his throne. "So you were not mistaken," he acknowledged. "Very well. We will try to provide assistance in some way." Hazel finally felt relieved; even though it wasn't her home in danger, she had made close friends at that camp.

Nico walked up to the message and sighed, "Thank you, lord."

"Before we cut the message," Neptune (or was he Poseidon? She had a hard time thinking of them as Greek) interrupted, "is that Percy?" She turned to him and noted that he hadn't moved at all. He was shaking slightly and wouldn't look at them.

"Percy," Frank said over to him, "are you okay?"

"I'm not free yet," he said, his voice wavering. "It's dangerous…"

"Perseus..," Neptune sighed, concern etched in his features. Percy glanced up and made eye contact with his father. Hazel perceived a change in him as soon as it occurred. She backed up as he raised his sword and sliced through the message. Nico, Frank, and she warily surrounded him, holding their respective weapons. He appraised them and smirked.

"I remember saying that I could beat all of you. Let's test that out, shall we?"

* * *

Hazel had thought Percy was formidable when he fought on their side. This was so much worse. With each of them at different angles trying to get at him, he constantly twirled around with his sword like a demented ballet dancer. He even let out a maniacal laughter now and then which made her flinch.

"Percy, I know you can fight this!" Frank pleaded as a swing missed his head by an inch. "We're your friends!"

Percy responded by kicking him in the gut.

Hazel focused on the Celestial Bronze in the blade. She wrenched it out of his hand and cast it over the other side of the hill. Weaponless now, he snarled in frustration and stomped toward her. Nico got in front of her protectively, but he suffered the same fate as Frank, who was beginning to recover and crawl over.

She flung a hard punch at his face, but he caught her fist and twisted her arm behind her back. She cried out in pain as it bent unnaturally. "Stop…using…Percy," she bit out.

He tossed her away as Frank charged as a battle horse. Percy attempted a roundhouse kick at his snout but ended up being knocked down. Sprawled on the ground, he shook the snow from his face and hair. "You idiots," he said contemptuously, "I AM Percy. Would you really kill your dear friend?"

"Kill, definitely no..," Hazel trailed off.

"But we'll knock you to your senses if we have to," Nico finished firmly. Before they could carry on though, a roar of footsteps reverberated from the other side of the hill. Percy grinned.

"Looks like my reinforcements are here!" Getting up, he sprinted to the other side. They followed him but got swarmed by monsters. "Maim, but don't kill!" he crowed from somewhere inside the crowd.

"Stay close," Hazel told the other two, but she lost them immediately after being mobbed by Laistrygonian Giants. She squirmed her way out between their legs and pushed and stabbed through the horde. She caught a glimpse of Frank tearing apart telekhines as a tiger and Nico locked in combat with Percy. Frank made a path over to her, and she kept an eye on Nico and Percy as she fought. Hazel gasped, horrified as Percy tripped Nico. Helpless on the ground, he tried to back away.

Then Percy stabbed him in the stomach.

**Huh. I wonder if I got a bit too carried away... Percy's being a jerk, isn't he? Except it's not really him. I want to make it clear that he's not in control of his body, so...yeah. Please review and tell me what you think! :)**


	8. Hazel: A Hopeful Escape

**********Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**A very short chapter, but it's just meant to wrap up Hazel's part of the story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorited!**

"NO!" Hazel screamed. Nico couldn't be hurt badly, could he? It just wasn't something that could happen, especially not by Percy's hand!

They rushed over to him, Frank becoming a dragon mid-way. He grabbed Percy and threw him lightly into the monster army. As Hazel searched for ambrosia in Nico's bag, he kept the enemies from approaching.

Fortunately, it didn't seem like a deep wound, considering where it was. She thanked the gods that he was wearing thick layers of clothing. Finding his supply of ambrosia, she stuck one in his mouth. He slowly chewed and swallowed, his face twisted in pain. "Hazel, go help Frank. He can't hold them off forever…" He coughed, his face getting sickly pale.

Taking off her jacket, she held it on the cut. Hazel made a decision right then, seeing him so tired and weak. "Frank! Take Nico and cross the border into Canada. Ask the gods for help or fly him to where he can be treated!"

He clutched Nico gently in one paw and prepared to get her, too, but Percy put her in a headlock from behind. "Go! There's not enough time," she choked out. Frank looked at her mournfully and flew away, scattering the monsters surrounding him. Her face felt flushed as tears began to flow, and despite everyone around her, she felt terribly alone.

* * *

Percy clearly expressed that he didn't want to kill her. Instead, he locked her in some sort of a brig. Cold and uncomfortable, she sat and watched the troops as they passed by. The humans, in particular, interested her. Were they half-bloods? Maybe they were mercenaries or something.

She sighed and lay down on the hard ground. It had been hours since she had been here, but the sun hadn't come up yet. She prayed that Frank and Nico had made it.

There was less activity around the camp. She suspected that they were worn out from the excitement last night. It was a perfect time to escape, but she could not bend the plain metal bars. Frustrated, she kicked the cage.

A whinny startled her, and she rose. Arion waited outside, snorting lightly. "Arion! You came," she said softly, relieved. Maybe there was hope, after all.

Tilting his head, Arion chomped off a piece of a bar. He then spit it out to the side, eyeing it with disdain. He seemed to be saying, _If it's not gold, I'm not eating it._ Regardless, he repeated the process until she could duck out.

"Thank you," Hazel whispered. "I'll find you something to eat later." She got on his back, and he prepared to sprint off, but someone stepped in from of them.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Percy asked, holding up her spatha and her bag. He seemed dazed.

Hazel warily took her things from him. "You're awake?" she asked tentatively. He rubbed his forehead, blinking lazily.

"I'm not sure," he yawned. "I still don't feel right." Percy patted Arion's snout and held up an Imperial Gold dagger. The horse crunched it eagerly. "You should leave before someone sees you."

"Come with us," Hazel pleaded. "Everyone is worried about you." She had expected him to decline, but it didn't make her feel any better when she was right.

Shaking his head, he took a step back. "I'm in this…weird state right now. Hypnagogia, I think it's called? When I completely break free, I'll return. I promise."

At that moment, Arion chose to start galloping. "We'll be waiting!" Hazel yelled as they gained speed. The monsters had begun to amble out of the tents to get in the way, but they were left in the dust. Arion whinnied triumphantly, and Hazel experienced to emotions then: jubilance at her freedom and a slight melancholy at leaving Percy behind.

**Did I mention I love reviews? Feel free to just leave a comment or a question, however small it may be! :)**


	9. Frank: The Safe Return

**********Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Reply to Guest review on Ch.7: Sorry I didn't reply on the previous chapter! I guess you'll find out what happens to Nico in this one. Thank you for the review!**

**To all of my wonderful readers and reviewers, sorry to keep you waiting (this is a reference, if you get it I'll be impressed)! Here's the next chapter. :)**

Safely holding Nico in his claws, Frank flew at speeds that he hadn't thought were possible. All he could think to Hazel and Nico was, _Please be okay…_

If it weren't for the current situation, he would have enjoyed the cool wind. Instead, he searched the ground desperately for a place to land and prayed to the gods. He fervently prayed for them to help Nico before his condition got worse.

His eyes widened as he spotted something in the distance. It was a fiery comet…hurtling directly towards them! Roaring, he rolled to the side and caught a glimpse of a car as it sped by. The bright red convertible did a fancy turn and parked on the ground, melting all of the snow within a 10 meter radius. He dived and landed next to it.

A man wearing jeans and a golden coat stepped out of the car, and Frank coughed in amazement as the car morphed into an ambulance. This had to be Apollo.

"I'll properly dress his wounds right now then move him to camp," the god explained, carrying Nico inside. He poked his head out the door. "Just, uh, wait here for a moment."

* * *

In just a short time, they were ready to go. "Okay, so I want to have some time left before the sun rises, so let's make this quick," Apollo said lightly, plopping into the driver's seat.

Frank studied the inside with interest. It was modeled like a kitchen, with multiple cabinets lining the walls and a bed on one side replacing the table. "This is nothing like what I imagined an ambulance to be."

Apollo chuckled casually. "Oh, there's no ambulance like this one. I made some redesigns," he said almost gleefully. "Make sure the kid doesn't fall off the bed, would you?"

Grabbing the railing on the bed (which was thankfully attached to the floor) and Nico tightly, Frank held on as Apollo stepped on the gas. The vehicle lurched into the air and accelerated, probably speeding over 120 miles per hour. He seemed to be driving carefully, considering the patient, but Frank didn't let go of his death grip. He shifted into a more comfortable position and sighed, letting his thoughts wander over to Hazel and how he'd left her behind.

* * *

Thanks to Apollo's extreme driving, they arrived at Camp Half-Blood rather quickly. He parked the ambulance neatly in front of the Big House and carried Nico to the infirmary.

Frank stepped out and breathed in the cold night air. He had only been here a couple of times, but it never ceased to amaze him how laid-back it felt.

"You've had a rough night," Apollo called back, "go get some rest." Nodding tiredly, he yawned and went to find Chiron, wondering for the first time in a while how it would be to have the sun god as his father.

When Frank slept, his dreams were unpleasant. They reminded him of Hazel's cries as he flew away, leaving her in Percy's merciless hands (even though he knew Percy wasn't usually like that). She watched him resentfully, but then her expression changed to shock as Percy stabbed her in the back. Frank despairingly tried to return, but his body would not move. In his stillness, Nico bled out, and Frank woke up gradually, feeling like he was surrounded by so much death.

Lying on a guest bed, he became aware of yelling coming from another room. Stretching, he slid out of bed and searched for the source.

The argument was occurring in the infirmary. He found Hades and Poseidon glaring murderously at each other, Annabeth standing off to the side, and Nico looking uneasy.

"Your son did this to mine," Hades snarled at his brother, "and now he has my daughter, too!" His form briefly flickered to Pluto.

"If you want to blame someone," Poseidon replied coolly, "do it to the ones responsible for his possession. Take down Phobos, Deimos, and Morpheus."

"That is NOT my point. Besides, Ares and Artemis are out there, searching. Even Apollo left to bring them in. But my son-"

"I'm fine," Nico interrupted before Hades could rant further. "So please, let's not take this out on Percy." He noticed Frank standing in the doorway. "Hey, could you tell us the details of what happened after I got stabbed? My memory is a little fuzzy."

Frank described the incident, feeling awkward with their intense stares boring into his head. Hades looked even angrier than he did before, and he wanted to turn into a mouse and go hide in the corner or something.

Sensing a potential outburst, Annabeth walked over to him and said, "I bet Frank is famished. I'll go with him to get some food, and Nico should get some rest." She bowed to the gods and led him outside. It seemed like noon, and he really was hungry.

"We will go eat soon, but first," she faced him, "is it true? Did Percy seem aware of everything, at least for a moment?"

He nodded, and she sighed in relief. "Good. That means he's fighting. But I'm going to kill him when he gets back." She went on to mutter something about broken promises, and he really didn't know what to say. He started to follow Annabeth to the mess hall but stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of someone far off. Wasn't that…

"Isn't that Hazel?" Annabeth finished his thoughts for him. It was! She was jogging toward them, looking tired but unharmed. Joy bubbled inside him. She had escaped safely!

Golden eyes twinkling, Hazel ran into his arms, and he held her tightly. "Arion came for me," she mumbled into his shoulder, "and Percy let me go." At the mention of Percy, Annabeth looked just about ready to demand an explanation. He sent her a "give us this moment and let her get some rest" look, and she thankfully conceded.

**Woah. This whole chapter felt kind of weird to me, like the transitions and sentences were clipped...huh. I don't know. Feel free to ask any questions or to leave a comment!**


	10. Frank: An Unwelcome Visitor

******Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

When they returned to the infirmary after lunch, Hades and Poseidon were gone. Instead, Chiron greeted them. "I see Miss Levesque has escaped safely. I am glad to see that your journey was successful."

"I just wish we could have done more," Frank said, thinking about Percy.

Chiron smiled sympathetically. "You did what you could and made it back alive. That is what we could have hoped for. Besides," he said with forced cheer, "from what I hear, Percy is beginning to awake on his own. Add that to the fact that three gods are after his possessors, and he will surely break free of Aether's grip."

When he put it that way, Frank felt a little better. The wise centaur clopped out of the infirmary, leaving him with Nico, Hazel, and Annabeth. Hazel had taken a bed next to Nico's, and they were both dozing. The daughter of Athena seemed to be in deep thought.

"You mentioned light spirits," she spoke up, startling him. He had been expecting her to think about Percy. Noticing his confused look, she elaborated, "I'm talking about those beings that glowed. They must be like nature spirits, except exclusive to his domain. Maybe the other Protogenoi have beings that serve each of them."

"You are a most astute child," a man stated from behind them. Frank whirled around, finding a man with a golden afro, thick eyebrows, and shining armor that made him shade his eyes.

"Aether!" Annabeth exclaimed angrily, unstrapping her dagger. This middle-aged guy with the ridiculous afro was Aether?

"Ah, I am **so **delighted to see you again. Anniebelle, was it?" he said, his eyes riveted on Nico.

"It's Annabeth, and what do you want?" she demanded, holding her dagger threateningly.

Aether stepped closer to the beds, and Frank blocked him. The ancient god narrowed his deep blue eyes at him, and even though Frank felt a cold fear, he refused to give ground. "This is merely a simple visit. You may call it a test of sorts." He gestured to Nico. "So that was the boy whom I originally picked out? I am glad I replaced him with Perseus." Frank wanted to tackle him right there and then and wipe the triumphant smirk of his face, but that probably wouldn't have been a great idea.

The sleeping demigods were beginning to stir, and four light spirits appeared to restrain them, two going for each one. They had humanoid forms and were bathed in luminosity, but he couldn't make out any distinct features. The spirits held hands over the demigods' mouths to muffle their shouts. He and Annabeth moved to help them, but others of the spirit materialized, hijacked his sword, and put Frank in the same position as the other two.

"Let them go!" Annabeth growled, her stormy gray eyes darting between her friends and the god.

Aether flashed an Imperial Gold sword into his hand. "That would defeat the purpose of isolating you," he said condescendingly. "You ARE the leader of this camp as of the moment, are you not? I can kill two birds with one stone by striking you down."

"You would lower our morale," she muttered to herself, but he heard her.

"Of course. I would also prove that your camp is weak. The confusion and panic after your death is a bonus," he replied smoothly. Frank struggled against the spirits' grip, but they wouldn't let go. He needed to help Annabeth!

She got a determined look on her face. "So you, an ancient Primordial, would stoop so low as to attack and murder a seventeen year old girl?" she taunted.

He slashed at her head, but Annabeth ducked and made a jab under his left arm. Hitting only armor, she jumped out of the way of another strike. "Foolish girl," he said smugly, "do you not know what this armor is? This is the second armor of Achilles, the one without any chinks!"

"The only difference being that he wore sandals and you're wearing boots," Annabeth commented flatly, swiping at his neck, the only vulnerable part of his body. "What happened to the first armor?" she gave a barely noticeable nod to Frank, and he realized that she was trying to distract the god.

"He let his friend borrow it during the Trojan War. The Trojans killed him and took the armor," Aether started to lecture. While he spoke, Frank concentrated on the mental image of a small, gray mouse. He felt his body shrink and wriggled out of the surprised spirits' grasp. He landed on all four paws and sprinted toward the towering figure of Aether.

"You dirty little imbecile," the giant roared, "I will crush you!" He slid out of the way as Aether tried to stomp on him. Annabeth quickly scooped him up and launched him at the god's face, and Frank felt a jolt of fear as he sailed through the air. At the last moment, Aether stepped sideways, and Frank closed his eyes, envisioning himself NOT face-planting into the floor. He dropped lithely as a cat and jumped up to the Protogenoi's shoulder. With sharpened claws, he scratched Aether's neck before being shaken off.

Frank enlarged back into a human and looked at Annabeth indignantly. "You threw me!"

She shrugged unapologetically. "You didn't die and even got to scratch him later."

Aether had nasty claw marks on the left side of his neck, which was bleeding ichor profusely. He sent a furious glare in his direction and stumbled, raising his sword. Then the door slammed open, revealing Chiron with his bow. Before an arrow could lodge itself into his head, Aether glowed brightly and disappeared, leaving with a blast that slammed all of the demigods against the wall and made the light spirits vanish.

Frank flinched as his head met brick. He groaned every part of his body feeling sore and dizziness impairing his vision. Trying to ignore the throbbing in his head and trying not to puke his guts out on the carpet, he shut his eyes and hoped that the other three didn't feel as bad as he did.

**Chiron to the rescue, huh. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, reviews are greatly appreciated. I have had difficulty trying to wrap up this story and was wondering if you guys have any ideas of what will happen next. So please...review? :)**


	11. Frank: Plans

**********Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**I apologize for not updating very often. Thanks to those who reviewed/favorited/followed this story!**

"How'd he get in the camp borders?" Nico groaned almost incoherently. From what Frank could see (which wasn't much; he felt like he'd been dragged across concrete by Hannibal the Elephant), Chiron had picked him up and set him on a bed. He did the same to Hazel.

Annabeth rubbed her head and stumbled up. "He's a god. Not only that, he's a Primordial. He can do pretty much what he wants," she grumbled.

Chiron clopped over and helped Frank up. "What did he want?" the centaur asked gravely.

She sank down on a bed and sighed. "He wanted to kill me. He thought that would weaken the camp before the army attacks."

"A death inside camp borders would have indeed been traumatizing," Chiron mused, "but I doubt he will return. Now, I believe all four of you need a good rest."

Annabeth tried to protest, but he just gave her a stern look. Grumbling some more, she lay down on the bed, resigned to being checked for injuries. Frank sat next to Hazel, who leaned against him and put her head on his shoulder. Nico was already snoring away. Frank sighed, wondering how the infirmary went from having only one demigod to four of them.

He realized he had fallen asleep only when he woke up to find it dark outside. Nico was the only other one in the room, and he was still out cold.

The door creaked open, and Frank jumped. Hazel stepped in, smiling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

He crossed his arms in mock indignation. "I was not scared!"

"Sure you weren't," his girlfriend replied, smirking. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I slept through the whole day," he yawned. "When did you get up?"

Hazel took his hand, and they walked outside together. "I woke a while ago, and I've been wandering around the camp." She smiled wistfully. "Everyone here seems so close."

"Yeah," he agreed, "it's a nice place. I can't say I like it better than Camp Jupiter, though."

She squeezed his hand. "Me neither. I guess it's because we're Romans and are used to that place."

Frank nodded and let Hazel guide him somewhere. "All of the campers are at the campfire," she said, "but that's not where we're going."

He looked at her curiously but didn't ask. He was happy enough that Hazel was here with him, taking a nice night stroll.

They ended up sitting at the lake, and she leaned against him. "I had a nightmare, Frank." She took a deep breath. "Everything was so dark and broken. I can't remember exactly what happened, but I think someone died. It was a close friend."

He rubbed her back to comfort her, even though he felt uneasy. "It was just a dream," he said, sounding unconvinced even to himself. They both knew that demigod dreams were more often prophetic than not.

Hazel absently dipped her fingers in the water then recoiled, shaking off the freezing drops. "I hope so," she whispered. "I don't want to lose you."

He smiled sadly and wrapped his arms around her in a clumsy hug. "You won't," he murmured. "I'll stay close."

* * *

The next morning, the god of the sea dropped in at camp. Frank overheard he and Chiron discussing how to save it while he pretended to sleep.

"I will have the Cyclopes army ready to fight when they come," Poseidon said grimly. "With its force combined with both camps' demigods, they will have little chance to overtake this place."

Chiron sighed. "I hope you are right, Lord Poseidon."

"If you have doubts," he replied, "consider that the other gods may help, as well. I know my niece is sending her Hunters."

The centaur nodded, and his horse tail swished nervously. "Have you been able to check on your son at all?"

The mood in the room became morose as a troubled look came over the sea god's face, and Frank realized how much Percy resembled his father. "As much as I want to, I cannot. He is still in the land beyond the gods, and all I can do is wait for him to come out. Perhaps then I will be able to guide him."

Getting increasingly sleepy, Frank tuned out the rest of the discussion. He felt slightly envious that Percy had a father who so openly cared about him. He supposed that Mars cared too, in his own way, but his seemed like a rough, "Hey, you're my offspring, so you'd better do well so that I don't have to incinerate you," way. Instead of being bitter, Frank decided to just roll his eyes and move on. His dad was a gruff war god; he had learned to accept that.

Frank stored away the information that Poseidon missed his son. Percy would need it when he felt guilty after realizing what he had done. The conversation was a drone of voices in the background now. Still feeling unbelievably tired for some reason, he drifted back to sleep.

**So, now the story is wrapping up! As always, reviews are immensely appreciated. Reading what you think will happen and what your thoughts are on the story is a nice experience. :)**


	12. Frank: Slow Progress

**********Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

**The chapter title seems to reflect my writing/updating progress. :/ Anyway...It's my one-year anniversary of making a Fanfiction account! To add to the joy, I finished The House of Hades! It was an amazing book, and I will try not to spoil it. So please, no spoilers for anyone else either.**

Frank dreamed that he was in Alaska. He was getting tired of that place; he could only imagine how Hazel must feel about it.

He automatically entered a large tent and found Percy inside, slouched on a desk. Something strange happened then. As he walked closer, he ended up being surrounded by darkness, moving on top of a mud-like substance that seemed to stick to his shoes. A few feet away, Percy was in a pit, the dark sludge coming up to his torso. He was struggling to get free.

"Percy?" Frank asked, hurrying forward to help him out.

The trapped demigod gasped in surprise. "Frank, how are you here?"

He shrugged and grabbed Percy's flailing arms, attempting to pull him out. He figured that he had entered Percy's dream somehow. Maybe if he managed to free him in the dream, he could wake him up in reality.

They toiled and grunted, but Percy had only budged a few inches. He sighed and smiled dejectedly at Frank. "That was more than I could have gotten out by myself. Thanks."

Frank tightened his grip and pulled harder, only to almost get dragged in. Percy let go of his arms in alarm. "Don't fall in," he warned. "I don't know what will happen if you do."

"How long," he panted, "have you been here?"

Percy shrugged and moved, making the sludge shift. "I don't know. I should be out soon since I just need to free my legs, but that might take a while."

Frank glanced around; there was nothing but an expanse of dark colors. The place felt depressing and lonely.

As if reading his thoughts, Percy mumbled, "It's a pretty empty place, isn't it? I'm glad you appeared in time to help me at least a little. Being alone for all this time, not knowing how or where everyone is…" He shuddered and looked at Frank sadly. "I guess it's time for you to go."

He blinked, taking a small step back. The colors were getting brighter, and he felt like a light was being shined at his eyes. "Don't give up," he said, squinting, and his friend nodded.

"I…can't recall why I need to say this, but I just do."

As Frank rose out of the world of dreams, his friend's words rang in his mind.

_"I'm sorry."_

**Thanks to everyone who favorited/reviewed/followed this story! I really loved whatever support I got. :) If I have time, I may go back to The Rising Ancients and this story to make revisions; perhaps doing so will make them more appealing. Anyway, the next story will be called The Hero's Return, and I will hopefully have it up around late October. Thank you again for reading! :)**


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